The Himalayan Times has published quite a story of survival. The newspaper is reporting that a trekker who had been missing in the mountains of Nepal has been found after 47 days, although his 19-year old companion has died. The duo were traveling in the Langang region of the country without a guide when they disappeared, leading to what must have been a harrowing month and a half in the wilderness.

21-year old Taiwanese traveler Liang Shang Yuen and his companion Liu Chen Chun had come to Nepal to trek in the mountains there. On February 21, they had gained the permits necessary to enter Langtang National Park, and were part of a home stay program for three days in early March, before setting off on the next phase of their trip. Unfortunately, heavy snow set in and the duo hadn't been seen since.

According to the story, it seems that the two young men took refuge in a cave, and may have gotten disoriented and lost. Over time, they ran out of food and were surviving just on drinking water, while they waited for rescue.

Search and rescue teams spotted Liang a few days back laying unconscious on the banks of a river. The body of Liu was nearby, with rescuers saying they believed that both travelers had fallen from a cliff. Liang is understandably in poor condition, but has been airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. His family will be arriving there from Taiwan tomorrow.

At the moment, the young man can't recall much of what has happened over the past 47 days. His story is likely to be quite a tale of survive however, as it isn't easy to live in the mountains without food for so long. It must have been quite the ordeal to say the least. Thankfully, at least one of the trekkers was found alive and he'll be going home soon.

As someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors, and often finds himself traveling to remote places, I'm always on the lookout for innovative new products that can make those experiences safer and more enjoyable. A piece of gear that can pull double duty by providing extra functionality is always a plus too. Recently, I've discovered just such a product in the form of the new Escape Pro Bivvy from SOL, which can serve as an emergency shelter or an extra layer that provides additional warmth for your sleeping bag.

In terms of performance, the Escape Pro Bivvy checks all the right boxes. It is built to be extremely durable, yet offers a high level of breathability as well. It is wind and waterproof, and uses a special material called Sympatex Reflextion to reflect up to 90% of your body heat back at you, helping you to stay much warmer in cold conditions. On top of that, the bivvy weights a mere 8 ounces (240 grams), which make it easy to stuff into your backpack to take with you anywhere.

Because it weighs next to nothing, the Escape Pro Bivvy is a great choice for ultralight hikers who don't want to carry a full sleeping bag on their outdoor adventures. As a stand-alone shelter, it can keep most hikers comfortable in conditions down to 50ºF (10ºC). And when paired with a sleeping bag, it adds as much as 15ºF to the overall temperature rating, while also providing the water and windproof capabilities. That makes it a more sensible choice than even carrying a more basic sleeping bag liner.

Measuring 31" x 84" (78 cm x 213 cm) in width and length, the Escape Pro Bivvy has a 24" (61 cm) zipper than runs along one side that allows for easy access. When unzipped, this also allows the user to more easily stuff their sleeping bag inside. A drawstring closure hood also allows you to cinch the bag up tightly around your head when things get especially chilly.

If you're backpacking with a tent, the wind and waterproof features of the bivvy are nullified somewhat by the shelter you're already sleeping inside. But, as more and more hikers take to the hammock camping trend, this product truly shows its colors, at least in terms of being an extra shell for you sleeping bag. If you prefer to sleep suspended off the ground in a hammock, the Escape Pro Bivvy will be a very useful piece of gear to have at your disposal, not only for its added warmth, but ability to keep wind and moisture at bay too.

Of course, it also comes in very handy as an emergency shelter should you find yourself unexpectedly caught out in bad weather on a mountaineering expedition or backpacking excursion into remote areas. It is easy to pull out and climb inside should the need arise, and it is one of those items that you'll always be glad you have with you, even if you don't need it. And scene it weights so little, there is almost no excuse for taking it along, even if you don't plan to use it an extra layer for your sleeping bag.

Priced at $125, the Escape Pro Bivvy is a bit pricer than a standard sleeping bag liner, so if you're just looking to add a few degrees of warmth to your bag, you might want to look elsewhere. That said, this product does A LOT more than a liner could ever hope to do, providing protection from the elements, and potentially even saving your life in an emergency situation. That makes this not only a far more versatile item – which alone makes it worth the money – but something that should be considered essential gear for those journeys into remote areas. If you're serious about your backcountry adventures, this is definitely an item you'll want to have at your disposal.

Despite our best laid plans for outdoor adventure, sometimes things don't go as expected. On occasion, this can lead to being stranded in the backcountry overnight, when you had originally planned to just be out for the day. What should you do in these occasions? The video below – hosted by none other than Timmy O'Neill – can help. At a little more than two minutes in length, this clip if filled with good suggestions on how to comfortably survive the night outdoors, even when you haven't planned for it. Some of the information is just good logic, and probably something that many of you already know. But, there are also some solid pieces of advice that could make a difference should you find yourself in this situation in the future.

Yesterday marked an auspicious day in the annals of exploration. It was exactly 100 years to the day since Ernest Shackleton's men were rescued from the ice in the Antarctic after a months-long ordeal that would eventually go down as one of the greatest tales of survival ever. The rescue brought and end to their struggles on that particular expedition, but returned them to a world gone mad by war.

Shackleton's tale is a well known one at this point. In August of 1914, he and his men set sail from London for the Antarctic where he and several of his men had hoped to launch an attempt to cross the frozen continent. As they left Europe behind, the first shots of what would become World War I were just taking place on that continent as well.

In December of 1914, Shackleton's ship – the aptly named Endurance – departed South Georgia Island for the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica. Once there, the crew discovered more ice than they had expected, and by January 19, 1915 the ship was fully enveloped in ice, not allowing it to move forward or backward. For months, the Endurance and her crew were stuck in place, until the ship finally succumbed to the pressures being applied to its hull and sunk beneath the waters on November 21, 1915.

But the ordeal for Shackleton and is men were far from over. For weeks they camped on an ice floe before it cracked and broke up, forcing them into the Endurance's lifeboats in a desperate attempt to reach Elephant Island. They reached that point and stepped foot on solid ground for the first time in 497 days.

Knowing that he and his men couldn't hold out forever, Shackleton came up with a desperate plan to make an open water crossing to reach South Georgia again. On April 24, 1916 he and a few hand-picked men set out once again, surviving high seas, storms, and frigid conditions to reach their destination on May 8. They then made a harrowing trip across the island on foot to reach a whaling station on the other side where they could begin mounting a rescue operation at long last.

But once again the conditions in the Southern Ocean thwarted their plans and poor weather prevented them from going back to Elephant Island. On two separate occasions rescue missions were forced to abandon their attempts, although Shackleton persisted in his efforts to save his men. It took until August 30, 1916 to complete the rescue operation, retrieving 22 men who had remained in that desolate place for five more months. But in the end, not a single man perished on that expedition, which remains a remarkable feat to this day.

It took until May of 1917 for Shackleton to return to England, but but that point the war was at its most brutal. A small conflict that was breaking out when he and his men left for the Antarctic had turned into the bloodiest and most costly war that the world had ever seen. Millions had lost their lives since the Endurance had set sail, and hundreds of thousands more would perish before it was through. Some of them were men who had survived all those months on the ice.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The story of Shackleton and his crew is one of the greatest stories of adventure and survival that we've ever seen. It is a testament to his leadership skills that they managed to stay alive at all, and I can't even imagine what it was like to be stranded under those conditions for so long.

Major thanks goes out to the Adventure Journal for reminding me of this important date in history.

Here's a harrowing tale of survival that will probably make a great book or film at some point. Last week, authorities found a Czech tourist who had been missing for more than a month in the wilderness of New Zealand. The woman was discovered living in a park warden's hut along the Routeburn Track, one of the country's popular trekking routes. She is said to be in reasonably good physical condition, although she is understandably suffering some physiological stress from the ordeal.

The woman, and her traveling companion set out to hike the trail back on July 26. The Routeburn Track typically takes about three days to complete, but the duo became lost when the trail markers they were following became buried in deep snow.

Things went from bad to worse when the woman's partner fell off a cliff, dying as a result of his injuries. She then spent three long, cold nights out in the open before locating the cabin, which became her home over the past few weeks. During that time she suffered some minor frostbite and hypothermia, but for the most part is in good condition.

Nearly a month past before the Czech consulate contacted authorities in New Zealand, who up until that point were unaware the couple was missing at all. They organized a search party, but held out little hope since it been so long, and so much snow had fallen along the trekking route. But, the couple's car was discovered near the trail head, which initiated a longer search that resulted in the rescue.

In addition to the cold weather and snow conditions, the woman faced a serious threat from avalanches. Most hikers are advised to avoid the higher altitude sections of the hike during the winter months for that very reason. It was because of those dangers that no other hikers discovered her living in the cabin over the past several weeks. She was found last Wednesday and transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Quite a story indeed. She is obviously lucky to be alive. Thankfully this one had a mostly happy ending, although condolences go out to the friends and family of the man who perished on the trek.

Need a handy little survival kit to carry with you on your outdoor adventures, but don't want to spend a lot of money putting a custom kit together? Then you'll definitely be interested in the new Traverse kit from Survive Outdoors Longer. It has just about everything you could possibly need for your backcountry excursions, and a price tag that makes it one of those products that you can't afford to not have with you.

Packed in its own tin case, the Traverse covers the most important elements of survival including water, shelter, fire, and signaling. Items found inside the kit take care of all of those needs, allowing you to survive for an extended time should an emergency situation arise.

So just what does the kit include? Here's a complete list of what you'll find side the tin container:

As you can see, there are water purification tablets as well a bag to carry water in. There is also an emergency blanket for warmth, a firestarter and tinder, as well as a rescue whistle. SOL has also conveniently thrown in some duct tape and a few other items that can come in handy as well, including an instruction manual with tops for staying alive in challenging circumstances.

If you're familiar with SOL's products, you know that they are always high in quality and well made. The Traverse is no different, as it is a product that is designed for the outdoors and is built to survive in those environments. It is also lightweight, weighing in at a mere 6.1 ounces (173 grams). The entire package is very compact, and is made to slide right into your pack and stay there until you need it.

So how much does this little kit cost? As I said earlier, this is a piece of gear that you almost can't afford to be without when you set out on your travels. The SOL Traverse survival kit is just $20, which makes it almost a no brainer when you consider everything that is inside. It also makes a great gift for other outdoor enthusiasts as well, as its attractive tin case gives it a classic good look that most will appreciate.

A new television show is currently looking to cast fresh faces for what sounds like a reality competition of some sort. I've had this rattling around in my email inbox for awhile, and thought I'd share it just in case someone was interested in giving it a go. Here's the casting call in full:

INFORMATION:

NOW CASTING: EXTREME SURVIVALISTS!!

Are you one of the elite that protect small expeditions, that forge into the darkest and most dangerous parts of the planet? Can you survive in the remotest jungles and toughest mountain ranges, fending off predators and all of nature’s dangers in harsh, unforgiving terrains with a single mission – to stay alive?

All I'll say is, that is a lot of hashtags. And good luck to anyone who applies. It certainly could be a good opportunity for the right person, and there seems to be a growing demand for reality television that takes place in remote areas of the world. Perhaps this will be another hit in that genre.

Have you always wanted to be a reality television star? If so, than I have a couple of casting opportunities for you that just might be your big break.

First, Animal Planet is looking for expedition leaders to travel Greenland to be a part of their show Ice Cold Gold. The program follows a mining company as it travels to remote areas of globe in search of valuable metals and minerals. This year, that quest is taking them to parts of Greenland that have seldom been visited by outsiders before, where they'll race to complete their job before the harsh Arctic winter sets in, covering the landscape in snow and ice once again.

If you think you might be qualified, send an email that includes a photo and a brief description of yourself, as well as some info on your expedition experience, to[email protected]. You can also find a bit more of a description in this posting at ExWeb.

The second opportunity is one that I'm sure will appeal to a number of readers will be interested in. Reality television legend Les Stroud is preparing to film new episodes of his show Survivorman and he's looking to take one lucky viewer with him out into the field. For those who haven't seen this show (have you been living under a rock?), Les is dropped off in a remote region of the world – usually completely alone – and he must survive in that environment while making his way to safety.

But for an upcoming special episode Les wants to take someone along with him on his adventure, and he is accepting applications to do just that here. Applicants will need to fill out the online form and submit a 5-10 minute long video explaining why they are the right person to accompany him out into the wild. The submission deadline is April 1, which is a week from today, so you better get going. Les explains more in the video below.

Good luck to anyone who applies for either of these opportunities. They could certainly lead to some interesting adventures.

Think you know how to survive in a variety of tricky situations? If so, than you'll probably do quite well in the Survival Quiz posted by Outside magazine. It features 16 questions designed to see just how well you'd manage in some truly difficult scenarios that are designed to test the skills of any adventurer, world traveler, or explorer.

The quiz offers all kinds of unique set-ups, including what do if you get a stomach bug in Africa, find yourself caught in a tsunami warning in Chile, or have your campsite invaded by armed guerrillas in Colombia. You'll be challenged to react to monkeys in Kathmandu, start a fire after falling into a river, and a number of other situations – some very realistic, others a bit more imaginative.

While this quiz is meant to be mostly entertaining, it does hold some value in teaching readers some common sense techniques for surviving situations that could potentially come up in our travels. A few of the scenarios are on the outlandish side, but the over-the-top nature of quiz is part of the fun.

For the record, I managed to score a 12 out of 16. I need to work on my knots and my ability to survive in an illegal casino in Manilla apparently. If you want to have a bit of fun, and see how you'd fare, click here to take the quick for yourself.

Outside magazine continues to provide readers with lists of great gear that we should all own. This time out, they have put together the ultimate survival kit, which consists of 35 items that will get you through just about any situation. This kit won't come cheap however, as it would set you back more than $9300 if you were to purchase everything on the list.

While that number is sure to cause sticker-shock amongst some, there are a few items that drive up the price significantly. They include a fat bike from Cogburn ($1899), and Iridium Go satellite communications device, and a rifle from Kimber ($2040). These big ticket items make up a significant portion of the total price, even though they will probably come across as a luxury to a lot of people.

Most of the other items on the list are actually fairly affordable. They range from Duct tape ($5) to a Goal Zero Yeti solar powered generator ($460). Other items include things like a comfortable cot ($300) to sleep on, a rechargeable headlamp, a sturdy pair of hiking boots, energy bars, and a host of other gear that any outdoor enthusiast would love to have in their gear closet. Some of the items are even a bit whimsical, including a deck of playing cards, and bunny slippers for your feet.

If you're preparing for the impending zombie holocaust, than this would indeed be the ultimate survival kit. But, it also consists of some excellent outdoor gear from a number of great companies. While it is unlikely that any of us will ever assemble this complete survival package, there are plenty of items that make the list that would come in handy while hiking, backpacking, climbing, or traveling.

BBC Worldwide Productions and the Discovery Channel have put out a casting call for a new survival series, and they've asked me to share it with readers at The Adventure Blog. According to the email I received from Safford Productions, the show, which remains untitled at this time, will be a true test of survival, and not for the faint of hear. Here is the notice that was sent my way in its entirety.

NOW CASTING

HARD CORE, TRUE SURVIVALISTS!

BBC Worldwide Productions and the network that brought you ‘Naked and Afraid’, ‘Dual Survival’, and ‘Deadliest Catch’ are casting a unique, exciting, never before imagined survivalist series.

We are going big and looking for the best of the best — we are interested only in those who have the proven skills to last hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and week-to-week in an unforgiving, unpredictable, and untamed environment in one of the most remote parts of the world.

We are looking for a cast of individuals with varied backgrounds, from Boy Scouts to preppers, botanists to ex-military, medics, scientists, engineers, hunters and gatherers, and everything in between. You must be strong in character, quick thinking, highly competitive, methodical, resourceful and strategic.

This is not survival light! The mental strength and physical ability to persevere in the remote wilds of an unfamiliar territory WILL BE REQUIRED. You will be tested in a 24/7 live and interactive TV format, where viewers will be able to track your progress—and your failures. We are only interested in the real deal—casual weekend campers and reality show wannabes need not apply.

We challenge you to survive 42 days in the wild, relying on nothing but your skills, your smarts, and your will to survive.